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25% Discount On ACEC Job Board In recognition of the new resume posting feature recently added to ACEC's online Job Board, all employers who purchase any job posting package by March 15 will receive a 25 percent discount. Enter the code TNXFEB2006 when the online form asks for a promotional code just before finishing your purchase—the system will then recalculate your total. All employers with open positions on the Job Board have access to the resumes. Resume posting is a free service to job seekers. The ACEC Job Board can be found at www.acec.org/jobbank/. For questions about your posting, contact the Job Board Help Desk by calling 888-491-8833 or click here. For general questions, contact Patrick Brookover at 202-682-4341, or Mary Ann Emely at 202-682-4300. Financial Management Titles At Bookstore The ACEC Online Bookstore is the source for the most popular books on important industry topics. Visit us at www.acec.org/publications or click here to see our full financial management catalog. The Essentials of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers Edward Fields $19.95 This book demysti- fies the role that accounting and finance play in a corporation and demonstrates how financial decisions are the basis of sound company planning. Click here to order. Smart Financial Management: The Essential Reference for the Successful Small Business William Sihler, Richard Crawford & Henry Davis $29.95 Long on practical guidance while refreshingly short on math, Smart Financial Management helps owners and managers of small businesses solve everyday financial dilemmas and avoid potential problems. Click here to order. Financial & Economic Analysis for Engineering and Technology Management, 2nd Edition Henry E. Riggs $120 This self-study guide helps engineers under- stand financial statements and accounting records, ask insightful questions, engage in thoughtful debate about accounting and financial issues, and make informed decisions that benefit their companies. Click here to order. Organizational Peer Reviewer Training To Be Held At 2006 Annual Convention ACEC's Organizational Peer Review (OPR) program is looking for new talent to join our Peer Review team. Peer Reviewers share their expertise with peers, while honing management skills and working with a variety of firms across the country. To become a Peer Reviewer, at least 15 years of experience in the engineering/construction industry and five years in corporate/firm management is required. Peer Reviewer training is scheduled for April 30 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit. Click here or contact Sarah Kaska at skaska@acec.org or 202-682-4320 for more information. Final Seats At Business Design Of Consulting Going Fast March 1–4         Tampa, FL There are a few spaces left for Business Design of Consulting—ACEC's flagship program for the engineering firm of the 21st century. With interactive instruction on critical design consulting challenges, this intensive four-day workshop offers up-and-coming design firm leaders the chance to look in-depth into eight different management areas for improved management and leadership skills. Click here for more information and to register. March Market Forecast Series Event: USACE On Hurricane Relief Efforts March 16      12:30-1:30pm EST ACEC HQ or Your desktop David Pezza from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present the latest information on the Corps' reconstruction and rebuilding efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Registration for ACEC headquarters or via Internet teleconferencing: Members $109/non-members $129. Click here to register. Next Online Seminar: Improved Risk Taking And Decision-Making Harold Ballenger, O&I, Inc. March 1       1:30-3:00pm EST This session will explore how to structure individual and group decision-making to reduce inappropriate "gut instinct" decisions, as well as look at numerical methods to assess risk in evaluating alternative solutions. Click here to register.

President Bush Considering Invitation To Attend ACEC Annual Convention President Bush Knowing of the A/E industry's significant involvement in several national priorities—such as Katrina reconstruction and homeland and national security programs—President Bush is considering an invitation from the Council to address ACEC members at the upcoming Annual Convention, April 30–May 3 in Washington D.C. If the President's schedule allows, he will join a Convention lineup that includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Republican and Democrat Party Chairs Ed Gillespie and Terry McAuliffe, and other distinguished government and industry leaders. The White House has been calling upon ACEC increasingly in recent months to advise on Gulf Coast reconstruction and other national issues. "We have offered this opportunity to the President to address the leaders of our industry on issues of critical importance to the nation," says ACEC President Dave Raymond. "And even though the President has a brutal schedule and there are no guarantees at this point, we are encouraged that the White House is taking the invitation seriously." Previous ACEC Conventions have featured top administration and Congressional leaders such as Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. Make your reservations today! Click here to view Convention registration information. Register online by March 31 and receive an additional 5 percent off the registration fee. ACEC/Louisiana To Co-Host Special Conference On Rebuilding Louisiana ACEC/Louisiana, along with several other in-state industry organizations, are sponsoring a special conference on Katrina reconstruction challenges. Joining ACEC/Louisiana for the day-long "Outlook for Rebuilding Louisiana," to be held April 10 in Baton Rouge, are: the Louisiana Engineering Society and the Louisiana sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "Since the hurricanes slammed into the Gulf Coast in late August, all eyes are on our state to see how we will handle the gargantuan task," said ACEC/Louisiana Executive Director Warren Wilder. "ACEC/Louisiana's goal with this conference is to bring together our engineers and state officials on the task that lays in front of us." Among the scheduled conference participants are: Governor Kathleen Blanco, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach, and Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden. Many ACEC member firms are already engaged in the rebuilding effort including at least 15 firms from ACEC/Louisiana; 16 from ACEC Mississippi: 12 from ACEC/Alabama and several more from other states. The ACEC national organization has urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to put more local engineering firms to work in the recovery process. This same message was emphasized during ACEC's participation in a recent meeting at the White House with President Bush (see Last Word, Jan. 6, 2006). ACEC/Louisiana's conference will be held at the Sheraton Baton Rouge Conference Center. For more information, contact Warren J. Wilder, ACEC/Louisiana executive director, at 225-927-7704. URS, Earth Tech Top List Of Minuteman Fund Supporters; Mass., Ariz., Lead Among States URS Corporation and Earth Tech lead the list of ACEC member firms that have provided the most direct financial support this fiscal year to ACEC's Minuteman Fund—the Council's million dollar financial "war chest" that addresses major legal and legislative challenges in the states. ACEC/Massachusetts and ACEC/Arizona are the leading Member Organization contributors to the Fund this year. Minuteman Fund support played a major role in last year's landmark industry win in California against the public employee unions to preserve contracting out. The Fund also has assisted Member Organizations in several major legislative battles, including recent wins in Washington State to protect transportation funding and a successful effort in Texas to defeat a serious challenge to the state's QBS law. The top 10 firms that have contributed the most so far to the F.Y. '05-'06 Minuteman Fund are: URS Corporation Earth Tech Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade     & Douglas PBS&J HDR, Inc. CDM HNTB Corporation Carter and Burgess, Inc. Lockwood Greene Kleinfelder, Inc. The top 10 state Member Organizations that have generated the most support to the F.Y. '05-'06 Minuteman Fund are: Massachusetts Arizona Alabama Michigan Georgia Hawaii Indiana CELSOC Texas Wisconsin "The Minuteman Fund has made a real difference in giving us the resources to fight important battles at the state level," added ACEC of Massachusetts Executive Director Abbie Goodman. "Supporting the fund should be a priority for every ACEC member firm." Click here for more information about the Minuteman Fund, including how to contribute.

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